Page Two

: Dell, IBM, Sun Step Up for InfiniBand">
Meanwhile, IBM next year will begin deploying InfiniBand servers across its Intel-based eServers xSeries, said Tom Bradicich, CTO of IBMs xSeries group, in Research Triangle Park, N.C. The InfiniBand switch network, which will involve third-party technology, will include a host channel adapter, a switch and fabric management.
For its mid-range and high-end Unix servers, IBM will develop a common clustering interconnect and Interprocessor Communication fabric based on InfiniBand. That interconnect will roll out within the next few years, Bradicich said.

He also said that IBMs DB2 database software is being readied for InfiniBand.

In addition, even though IBMs Microelectronics division, in East Fishkill, N.Y., has halted development of its own InfiniBand silicon, it is working to help foundry customers who want to custom-make their own InfiniBand chips, he said.
Dell, in Round Rock, Texas, will make its next generation of PowerEdge modular blade servers InfiniBand ready, primarily through slots in which users can plug in InfiniBand connectivity, a spokeswoman said.
The companies endorsement comes at an important time for InfiniBand, according to industry observers. Earlier this year, key players Intel Corp. and Microsoft Corp. both pulled back on InfiniBand development, though both say they still support the technology.
At the same time, numerous smaller vendors and startups have begun rolling out enterprise-ready InfiniBand products. What also has been important is the development of 4xor 10Gbsilicon and of software for such jobs as fabric management to support InfiniBand networks.
However, analysts have said that it was important that top-tier players step out in support of the technology in order to help educate customers and drive up demand.
One top-tier OEM missing from the list is Hewlett-Packard Co., of Palo Alto, Calif. HP was one of the founding members of the InfiniBand Trade Association.
In a statement Thursday, Karl Walker, CTO of HPs Industry Standard Servers, said InfiniBand is part of a larger fabric strategy that the company is working on as part of its "adaptive infrastructure" program.
"InfiniBand is an emerging technology and, as such, HP is taking a pragmatic approach to its adoption and deployment," Walker said.